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Leading the way are the Bengals, who despite numerous re-signings still have $28.9 million to spend. The Browns come in a close second, with $28.7 million.

This year, teams are required to spend 89 percent of the unadjusted cap. But that number is determined at least for now on a four-year rolling average, which essentially allows teams to pocket 44 percent of a single year’s spending limit from 2013 through 2016. Based on the current cap numbers, some teams are well on their way to that number.

I know this team is trying to build through the draft and re-sign their own. I'm all for that, and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt considering their recent success in the draft.

But this is garbage. This team is close to being really good and they have a front office holding them back. You read the crap that Hobspin spills out once a week how "the Bengals only have $14 million to spend, they're trying to save for extensions, they have to hoard $10 million for injuries and bonuses, blah blah blah". Amazing how other teams find ways to re-sign their young stars while supplementing their teams with quality free agents. The only outside guy the Bengals have brought in played all of one snap last season. I'm not saying spend like a madman, but relying solely on young guys and rookies is not only risky, but downright foolish.

I know this is the same tired rant that I'm sure has been posted countless times. But I'm incredibly frustrated. This team is close, and the utter cheapness shown by this franchise (Mikey) is disgusting and holding the team back. Want to put some asses in the stands, Mike? Stop pinching pennies and show the fans you're serious about winning.

Sorry for the rant. I'm just frustrated with how this off-season has shaped up. Carry on.

Of course Hobspin disagrees. He'll have you believe we'll be lucky to even sign our 1st round pick and have to cut Dalton if we need to pick up a LB off the street next season. He's a blowhard who just writes what Mike tells him to write.

Cincy jungle is now doing their best to do the same. This is nothing but a spin job. Like I said, no need to go pull a Miami Dolphins and throw a contract offer to every available FA. But no excuse for not bringing in ANYONE yet who represents even a slight upgrade. Other teams have to spend money on rookies and must account for injuries/bonuses. Most of them find a way to re-sign their young stars. Somehow, someway, they manage.

That article didn't include the roughly $6 million they could save by cutting two guys who won't get off the bench this season (Allen, Anderson) and another roughly $1.5 million by cutting someone who likely won't either (Wharton). There's an extra $7.5 right there.

I'm tired of the spin job some (mainly Hobspin, now CincyJungle I guess) do for this team. There's no excuse for it other than Mike wanting to be cheap and pocket some cash.

There's a old saying "You don't pay the winner until the race is over", by next week 10 mil of that money could be gone. I too am unhappy with not signing a Safety but when you look at the draft all our needs could be filled by the end of day 2. This draft is lining up perfect for meeting the Bengals needs, so I'm willing to wait and see at this point._________________

There's a old saying "You don't pay the winner until the race is over", by next week 10 mil of that money could be gone. I too am unhappy with not signing a Safety but when you look at the draft all our needs could be filled by the end of day 2. This draft is lining up perfect for meeting the Bengals needs, so I'm willing to wait and see at this point.

No doubt. Like I said in my original post, the Bengals have drafted extremely well for the past few seasons, so I'm definitely giving them the benefit of the doubt in that regard. I'm sure they'll re-sign Smith in the next week too, and probably Newman.

It's just frustrating that they didn't even bring in a guy like Michael Huff, who signed for only $6 million over three years. They still have needs at RB2, WR2, LB, and S, and that assumes they get Smith and Newman re-signed. I just think it's short-sighted that it look like they're going to rely solely on the draft to fill these needs, and I get tired of people making excuses for why the team refuses to spend any money.

I hear what your saying 'Hokie', and part of me agrees, but the Bengals just haven't had that much luck with pricey vet FA's over recent years, and I can't blame them for their current strategy.

They have some expensive bills coming down the pipe, (Andre Smith, AJ Green, Dalton, Geno, Dunlap and a long term deal for MJ93), so I'll hold out on criticism until this time next year when we'll know how they've dealt with these guys, we'll know if we've won a play-off game, and we'll know if this years draft class have succesfully filled those holes at WR2, RB2, LB & S that you mention.

Just read that they may have to stack up $15M pa to get AJ Green extended, so its gonna get interesting.

I do know that we will all be pretty p$$$$d-off next April if we haven't got Geno and AJ buttoned-up already. So I for one say good job by the FO so far, lets keep our powder dry until next year._________________" Democracy is a system where two idiots can out-vote a genius..........."

While i agree, i'm gonna pipe down until either AJ, Geno or Andre go elsewhere. If we get them locked up, i'm good._________________[quote="YoursTruly"]He doesn't get the ball because he is shut down. Zero seperation. It is my understanding that Elite WR should be able to do this when their number is called. AJ gets shut down relatively easy.[/quote]

The Cincyjungle piece is spin. Any discussion of the team's cap situation that mentions the rookie pool is nonsense. The rookie pool has nothing to do with the team's overall cap situation, it's just a limit on how much rookies can be paid beyond their base salaries.

I'm all for the FO rolling over as much as they want to resign AJ, Geno, MJ and Dunlap. No reason to blow their stack of cash on FA's.

Besides, when was the last time this team spent big (or even moderate) money on a FA that worked out? I don't care if they never sign another FA again, money spending aside._________________If you're not in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?

The rookie money still gets paid though, right. So where is the spin? Let's just ignore the upcoming contracts, throw a bunch of money at some FAs, then not worry about extending our own. No thanks.

I know you aren't advocating that, but who out there would you have spent it on? Wheeler didn't even get his agent to talk here. I would have loved Huff, expecially at the price the ravens got him at (don't they seem to have mojo on their side this week, as Huff wanted to go to Dallas but they had no cap space and fax screw up?). Bush wanted top be the top dog wherever he ended up.

We still have 10 picks in a deep safety, RB and DL draft...the spots we will most likely target. These players will be cheaper and younger. I think that's a good thing.

We could pay the rookie salaries just by cutting Jason Allen and Anderson.

Leading the way are the Bengals, who despite numerous re-signings still have $28.9 million to spend. The Browns come in a close second, with $28.7 million.

This year, teams are required to spend 89 percent of the unadjusted cap. But that number is determined at least for now on a four-year rolling average, which essentially allows teams to pocket 44 percent of a single year’s spending limit from 2013 through 2016. Based on the current cap numbers, some teams are well on their way to that number.

I know this team is trying to build through the draft and re-sign their own. I'm all for that, and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt considering their recent success in the draft.

But this is garbage. This team is close to being really good and they have a front office holding them back. You read the crap that Hobspin spills out once a week how "the Bengals only have $14 million to spend, they're trying to save for extensions, they have to hoard $10 million for injuries and bonuses, blah blah blah". Amazing how other teams find ways to re-sign their young stars while supplementing their teams with quality free agents. The only outside guy the Bengals have brought in played all of one snap last season. I'm not saying spend like a madman, but relying solely on young guys and rookies is not only risky, but downright foolish.

I know this is the same tired rant that I'm sure has been posted countless times. But I'm incredibly frustrated. This team is close, and the utter cheapness shown by this franchise (Mikey) is disgusting and holding the team back. Want to put some asses in the stands, Mike? Stop pinching pennies and show the fans you're serious about winning.

Sorry for the rant. I'm just frustrated with how this off-season has shaped up. Carry on.

No, they are rolling that $10M to next year to re-sign/extend Geno, Carlos and AJ. There is not a single free agent available right now I want on the Bengals more than I want to lock those guys and MJ up long term.

As much whining and complaining as Bengals fans did when they lost Joseph I'd hate to see what happens if they lose Geno or AJ._________________2017 Draft Needs: Interior O-line, Pass Rushing DE, Linebacker, Kicker, Overall Team Speed.

Rule of 51 means only the salaries of the top 51 contracts count against the cap until teams cut down to the final roster. When that does happen there are several salaries especially for our team will be cut off the books which will more than make space for the rookie salaries.

What they may do is give Andre Smith his guaranteed money as a roster bonus instead of a signing bonus. If he falls apart in the later years of his contract extension, it would make him cuttable without a cap hit. Or they could do something similar with bonus money if they work out an extension for Geno or AJ over the summer._________________
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What they may do is give Andre Smith his guaranteed money as a roster bonus instead of a signing bonus. If he falls apart in the later years of his contract extension, it would make him cuttable without a cap hit. Or they could do something similar with bonus money if they work out an extension for Geno or AJ over the summer.

That's kind of what i'm thinking will happen. Push a lot of the cap hit into this year. Of course, that means next year we'll hear the same whining, because they'll have a ton of cap room again.

Honestly, no one should be shocked. Every year the Bengals are in the top 5 of cap space available. It's because they prefer to take the hit in the current year and not defer it, like most other teams. They still spend the same money, they just start every year with a ton of room. I don't see a problem with it. It gives the team more flexibility when it comes to changing the roster over._________________If you're not in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?

The rookie money still gets paid though, right. So where is the spin? Let's just ignore the upcoming contracts, throw a bunch of money at some FAs, then not worry about extending our own. No thanks.

I know you aren't advocating that, but who out there would you have spent it on? Wheeler didn't even get his agent to talk here. I would have loved Huff, expecially at the price the ravens got him at (don't they seem to have mojo on their side this week, as Huff wanted to go to Dallas but they had no cap space and fax screw up?). Bush wanted top be the top dog wherever he ended up.

We still have 10 picks in a deep safety, RB and DL draft...the spots we will most likely target. These players will be cheaper and younger. I think that's a good thing.

We could pay the rookie salaries just by cutting Jason Allen and Anderson.

The spin is that the rookie pool isn't a separate pot of money. The rookies don't get roster spots in addition to the regular 53, they take the place of guys who left or were on the roster last year. That's why the Cowboys who are up against the cap at the moment aren't sweating the rookie pool at all. The rookie number is simply a limit on how much a team's first year players can be paid beyond the minimum salary. It is irrelevant in discussions of a team's overall cap situation.